Clamp-drum for wire-fence machines.



P. A. & W. V. REID.

CLAMP DRUM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1 33.29, 1912.

1,047,565. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WWW a 61 Ho'muug coLqMam PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASH1NGTON. D. c.

. P. A. a; w. v]. REID. CLAMP DRUM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLIOATIOIN FILED T11R29, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

' 6 SHEETSr-SHEET 2.

I (/f 531 mm wfoz M wwuwwo W i Z xffw (i COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPHC0.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

P. A. 8: W. V. REID. CLAMP DRUM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.29, 1912.

' Patented Dec. 17,1912.

.6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

P. A. & w. v. REID. v CLAMP DRUM FOR WIRE FBNGRMACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED FEB.29, 1912.

Z\' I 512W: 1 E #W Patented Dec. 1-7; 1912.

N 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I jg'uenfo a I P. A. & W. V. REID.

CLAMP DRUM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES; I

APPLICATION FILED 213.29, 1912.

1,047,565. Patented Dec.17,1912.

s sums-sum 5.

P. A..& W. V. REID.

. CLAMP DRUM FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED PEI-3.29, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

am [mosses jay 4 4 da 2k WWW/1M2.

GRAPH 20., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

PETTIS A. REID AND WALTER V. REID, OF RICHLIOND, I NDIANAiSAID WALTER V.REID ASSIGNOR TO SAID PETTIS A. REID.

CLAMP-DRUM FOR WIRE-FENCE MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

Original application filed July 3, 1908, Serial No. 441,815. Divided andthis application filed February 29,

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, Pn'r'rrs A. Rum and WALTER V. REID, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Richmond, in the county of l Vayne and Stateof Indiana, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements inClamp-Drums for VVire-Fence Machines; and We do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for manufacturing wire fabric orfencing, more particularly square meshfencing composed of longitudinalwires or strands with attached cross-wires or stays.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved clamp-drumfor pulling or feeding the fabric and incidentally crimping the strands;the present improvement-as shown in the accompanying drawings beingapplied to a fence machine of the construction illustratedin thedrawings of our application Serial No. 44:1,815, filed July 3, 1908, ofwhich this application is a division; and so much of said fence machinebeing illustrated herein as is deemed necessary for the purposes of suchillustration.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described withreference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a partof this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end ofthe description.

In said drawings Figure-1 is a right-hand side elevation of thefence-machine; F ig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine; Fig. 3 is atop view of a section of the-clamp-drum,

I with parts omit-ted; Fig. t is a transverse sectionthrough a sector ofthe drum; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section'of a part of the.

drum; Fig. 6 is a front View of a part of one of the crimp-bars and ltstracker-bar;

.Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the left-hand tracker-cam, showing howthe tracker-bar Serial No. 680,768.

which is revolving in the direction indicated by the arrow is shovedendwiseto-ward the left; Fig. 9 is a plan view representing a portion ofa strand-wireand adjacent crimplugs, and showing one crimp-bar with its5 tracker-bar, and a fragment of the righthand tracker-cam which hasshoved the tracker-bar toward the left and thereby carried thestrand-wire under said crimp-lugs; Fig. 10 is a similar View showing afrag- 6 ment of the left-hand tracker-cam which has shoved thetracker-bar toward the right and thereby carried the strand-wire fromunder said crimp-lugs; Fig. 11 is a face view of the lefthandtracker-cam, with dotted 6 lines indicating some of the crimp-bars andthe cam for moving said crimp-bars radially outward; Fig. '12 is a rearelevation of said left-hand tracker-cam; Fig. 13 is a view similar toFig. 11 of the right-hand 7 tracker-cam; Fig. 14 is a front elevation ofsaid right-hand tracker-cam; Fig. 15 is a detail sectional elevation of.a portion of the mechanism for operating the drum.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two upright 7 housings or standards,constituting the ;purpose of guiding and tensioning said wlres againstthe pull ofthe revoluble clamp-drum. Above the shaft A, at the 9 frontof the machine, are the vertically-disposed twister-spindles C of thefabric-weav-- ing mechanism, through which the strandwires are threaded,and by'meansof which fixed to the strands.

'weaving mechanism.

the stays or cross-wires are successively af- (See Fig. 2). In the typeof weaving mechanism herein selected for illustrating our invention, thestays are supplied by successively feeding and cutting acontinuousstay-feed-wire, which is fed across the strands by coacting feed-rollsmounted at one side of the machine; said stay-feed-wire being fedthrough an alined series of separable guide-tubes G, from which it isremoved and placed adjacent to the strands by a number of pusher-arms H,and then pressed and held against the faces of the twisters or coilersby a series of beaters I. The fabric is drawn over the rev olubleclamp-drum D, which is the subject of this division, and which ismounted at the top of the machine, above the fabric- This drum isprovided with devices for gripping the strands, enabling it to pull upthe fabric as the stays are successively applied, thus intermittentlyfeeding the strands, and said gripping devices also serve to crimp thestrands, as hereinafter described. At the back and base of the machineis the winding-reel E, to which the fabric passes"from the clampdrum D,and by means of which it is wound into a bundle or roll.

As shown in Fig. 1, power is applied by a belt (not shown) at pulley Aon the power-shaft A and is transmitted by pinion A, gear A pinion A andgear A to the main drive-shaft A, which directly or indirectly operatesthe several mechanisms of the machine. Control of power, enabling theoperator to start and stop the machine instantly, is provided by aclutch in connection with pulley A and a clutch-controlling lever awhereby the pulley may be locked to the shaft or permitted to run freethere of. The free end of said lever is shown connected by a pivot-bolta to a shift-bar a arranged at the front of the machine. By this means,the operator can conveniently control the power from either side or atany position along the front of the machine, by shifting the bar or rodor. Shaft A operates the coiler-spindles C by means of a series ofdrive-wheels C (Fig. 2), and also operates, by means of cams, otherinstrumentalities associated with or forming part of the fabric-weavingmechanism, including the stay-wire positing devices and cutters. At oneside of the machine (Fig. 1), shaft A communicates intermittent motionto the clamp-drum D, by means of a cam D on said shaft. Said cam Dcontrols a lever D carrying a roller which rests on said cam; and saidlever D is connected by a link D to a dog-carrying lever D* looselymounted on the drum-shaft. As rocking motion is thus imparted to thelever D*, the

drum D is revolved step by step by the dog D engaging a ratchet-wheel Don one of the drum journals. The drum is prevented from reverse turninby a spring-controlled detent or pawl D At the opposite side of themachine, the drum-journal is provided with a pulley from which motion iscommunicated by a suitable belt to a second and smaller pulley on theshaft of a reel E, whereby the reel. will be driven from the drum. D butat a higher speed, so as to wind the fabric and pull it taut as fast asit is delivered from the drum. Ne preferably pro vide a slip-tensiondevice to act upon the belt and permit the drum to vary its rotation tocompensate for the increasing diameter of the roll or bundle thereon,reverse rotation of the drum being prevented by a conveniently arrangedpawl-and-ratchet mechanism. The strand-wires are fed stepby-step by theintermittently revolving clamp-drum while the stay-supply-wire is fedintermittently across the strands, these operations being preferablytimed to occur simultaneously, leaving the interim for the stayattachingoperation.

The clamp-drum D, over which the fabric passes to the reel E, pulls ordraws up the fabric intermittently, thus imparting a uniformstep-by-step feed, while the reel E winds the fabric only so fast as itis paid out by the drum, the rotation of the reel be ing variable as theroll thereon increases in diameter, as previously pointed out. Said drumD is of the following construction: It comprises a hollow shell havinglongitudinal channels (Z alternating with rows of crimp-lugs O which aremounted on the surface of the drum between said channels. As a preferredstructure, the said shell comprises concentric cylinders united bylongitudinal webportions which constitute the walls of the channels (Z,so that the channels alternate with hollow portions of substantiallytrapezoidal cross-section, as shown more clearly in Fig. A. Thecrimp-lugs O are or may be attached on the surface of such intermediateportions by bolts 0 The crimp-lugs O are arranged in both annular andlongitudinal rows; that is to say they are alined both longitudinallyand circumferentially of the drum. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, theyconsist of segmental blocks formed with undercut sides, eavingoverhanging ledges having beveled edges 0. In the present illustrationthe under-cuts are formed in the right-hand sides of the lugs. Theannular rows of these crimp-lugs are so placed that the tautstrand-wires passing over the drum will lie between said rows andadjacent, or approximately so, to the under-cut sides. The lugs aredesirably mounted on segmental wearing plates 0 preferably of hardenedsteel, of which material the lugs may likewise be made. Fit: ted in thelongitudinal channels (Z of the clamp-drum are radially-movablecrimpbars P, each having a plurality of inwardly projecting lugs 72which extend through the openings (Z in the bottoms of the channels (Zand ride, respectively, upon a number of stationary cams Q keyed on thedrum-shaft al it being noted that the heads of the drum are journaled torevolve on said shaft.

The bulges g on the cams .Q, are preferably arranged to move thecrimp-bars P radially outward as they approach to the uppermost positionof their orbit, and. to allow themto drop inwardly just-after they havestarted on the downward turn, as will be seen in Fig. 4. The crimp-barsare provided on their outer faces with hardened steel crimpstrips 72which normally lie approximately even with the cylindrical surface ofthe wearing plates 0 under the crimp-lugs O.

i Attached to the crimp-bars P are notched tracker-bars R, the notches1* thereof being alined circulnferentially of the drum and spaced toreceive and guide the strand wires X. These tracker-bars, which projectabove the cylindrical surface of the drum, are

shown fitted in rabbets in the rear faces of thecrimp-bars, and areattached by pin-andslot connections r which permit the trackerbars tohave a limited end-wise movement. (Figs. 4 and 6.) At opposite ends ofthe clamp-drum, stationary tracker-cams S and T are aflixed to the innersides of the machine-frame. These tracker-cams comprise semi-annularmembers supporting the ends of the crimp-bars P for the lower half ofthe drum, while the confronting surfaces 8 and t of said tracker-camsconstitute segmental tracks which contact with the opposite ends of thetracker-bars R, as shown in Figs. 7 to 10 and 15. The segmental track 8of the right-hand tracker-cam S has an incline at 8 adapted to shove thetracker-bars toward the left, and a terminal surface s to maintain thetracker-bars in their'shifted position. This surface s is provided on afront extension S of the tracker-camwhich is made on an increasedradius, as seen in Fig. 13, to allow for the radially-outward movementof the crimpbars P, as theyride on the bulge of the cams Q. Thesegmental track t of the left-hand tracker-cam T has an incline at 25provided on a rear extension T adapted to shove the tracker-bars towardthe right.

It is noted by reference to Figs. 7, 8, 11 and 13 that the surfaces '8and s of the trackerscam S occur at the front upper quarter of the orbitof the tracker-bars, while thesurface t of the trackercam T occurs atthe rear upper. quarter; said surfaces 8 and 6 being respectivelyarranged to shift the tracker-bars in opposite directions before andafter the crimp-barsare raised and lowered by the cams Q.Bothtracker-cams are preferably also provided with rear curved orinclined extensions S T adapted to insure.

the return or inwardradial movement of the crimp-bars P after they havepassed off the bulges of the cam Q; though, this .is not. essentialsince the tension on the fabric passing over the reel will forcethecrimp-bars I inward. V

In operation, as the fabric is drawnover the drum (the strands beingtautby virtue of the pull exerted by the winding-reel) the strand-wires Xare engaged in the notches r of the tra'cker-barsR and lie betvveen'thean nular rows of crimp-lugs 0, while the stays Y will come over thecrimp-bars or between the longitudinal :rows. of crimp-lugs. The bevelededges 0 of the overehanging ledges .of the, crimp-bars serve as sheds toinsure that the taut strand-wires X will drop down upon the wearingplates 0 in case any one bar R is shoved end-wise in one direction(tothe left) by the incline s of the trac'kere cam S (Figs. 8 and 9)and'thus the strands X arecarried and held under the over- I hangingledgeso of the two rows of crimplugs O. on opposite sides of theparticular crimp-bar. While so held, the crimp-bar is forced outward andthus clamps or grips the strands, at the same time crimping them, asshown in Fig. 4. It is desirable that the strands should always begripped or clamped by at least two crimp-bars. As each cr1mp-.

bar passes off the bulges of the cams Q,thus releasing the strands Xfrom the corre sponding crimp-lugs, its tracker-bar R is shoved end-wisein the opposite direction (to the right) by means of the incline t ofthe tracker-cam T (Figs. '7 and 10), and thereby the strands are movedfrom under the under-cut crimplug's. This is timed to occur sufficientlyin advance of the point where the strands leave the drum, on passage tothe reel, to avoid catching under the crimp-lugs by the off-goinglengths of the strands. The tension of the wires on the crimp-barsPforces them inward when they pass thebulges of the camuQ andthis inwardmotion of the crimp-bars is insured by the inclines S T of thetracker-cams; so that in the lower half of the-drum thecrimpbars will besupported by the semi-annular tracker-cams, as shown in Fig. 6-.

. I The action of the tracker-cams is illus-l trated in Figs. 7 to" 10,inclusive. In Fig. 8, one of the tracker-bars R is shown at that pointof its orbit just before the crimp-bar P to which it is attached ismoved radially outward by the cams Q. The right-hand end of thetracker-bar is riding on the incline s which thus shoves the strand Xunder the ledges of the crimp-lugs O, as indicated in Fig. 9. When theend of the tracker-bar reaches the surface .9 which will hold thetracker-bar to its shifted position, the crimp-bar P will be raised bythe cams Q, the increasing radius of the extension T accommodating thisoutward radial movement of the crimp-bar as shown in Fig. 18. In Fig. 7,the tracker-bar is shown at that point of its orbit when the crimp-barhas passed off the bulges of the cam Q, and when the tracker-bar isbeing shoved toward the right by the incline t of the tracker-cam T, soas to move the strand X from under the crimp-lugs as indicated in Fig.10. The arrows in Figs. 8 and 13 indicate the direction of revolution ofthe drum relative to the right-hand tracker-cam, and the arrows in Figs.7 and 11 indicate the direction of revolution relative to the left-handtrackercam; while the arrows in Figs. 9 and 10 indicate the directionsin which the trackerbar is shifted by the opposite tracker-cams.

It will be seen that the fabric is always clamped by the revolving drum,drawing the strands taut from the shive-rolls B, and the strands arecrimped at the connections of the stays, or at the stays andintermediate points, according to the length of intermittent feed of thestrands, which depends upon the diameter and angular speed of the drum.The crimp-bars P constitute radially movable clamp-jaws coacting withthe stationary rows of clamp-jaws provided by the under-cut crimp-lugsO.

The peripheral motion of the clamp-drum D at each intermittent turn orrotation may be equal to the distance from one crimpbar to another, orit may be twice that distance, or other desired multiple thereof,according to the spacing desired for the stays. In the first case, thestays will come over each crimp-bar, and the strands will be crimped atthe stays, while in the second case the stays will come at alternatecrimpbars and the strand will be crimped at the stays and also betweenadjacent stays.

It is noted that the drum D is longitudinally slotted as indicated at (Zand the fastening bolts 0 which attach the crimplugs O are insertedthrough the longitudinal slots in the drum as shown in Fig. 3, thusproviding for lateral adjustment of the clamp-devices of the drum toaccord with the lateral adjustment of the twisters provided by means ofthe slotted bed-plate (not shown). The longitudinal slots d, in the drumhave enlarged spaces d at intervals for insertion of the heads of thebolts to engage the bolts in the slots d To summarize the operation: Asthe clamp-drum D intermittently revolves, the fabric being clampedthereon, the taut strands X are pulled up intermittently through thetwister-spindles C, and the feed rolls feed the wire for the stay Yacross the strands, through the separable guide-tubes G; and said wire Yis then displaced from said guide-tubes and pressed against the strandsand upon the faces of the twisterheads 0 by thepusher-arms H and beatersI. During the interval of rest of the wires, the progressively-operatingseries of twisters attach the stay, by forming intermediate loops in thewire Y and twisting said loops around the intermediate strands, and alsotwisting the ends of the stay around the marginal strands; the cutters Mand N severing the wire Y into two stays. The attached stay is pulled upby the next feed, and in due time reaches the drum D which crimps thestrands at the knots or connections of the stay.

e do not intend to restrict ourselves to the specific details ofconstruction and arrangement herein shown and described since the samemay be modified in various ways within the scope of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wire-fence machine, an intermittently-rotating clamp-drum, anddriving connections therefor from a continuouslyrotating shaft includinga ratchet-wheel and rocking dog-carrying lever.

2. The combination of the rotary clampdrum, a ratchet-wheel attached tothe drum, a rocking lever mounted on the drum-shaft and carrying a dogengaging said ratchetwheel, and means for operating said lever.

3. The combination with a rotary clampdrum, the ratchet-wheel D anddog-carrying lever D of the drive-shaft, cam D thereon, lever Dcontrolled thereby, and link D connecting said levers.

4. The revoluble clamp-drum having longit-udinal slots, andlaterallyadjustable clamp-members mounted in longitudinal and annularrows on said drum, and fastenings therefor inserted through said slots.

5. In a wire-fabric machine, a revoluble clamp-drum having annular rowsof jaws, and radially-movable jaws coacting therewith, and means foroperating said radiallymovable jaws for alternately gripping andreleasing the wires passing over said drum.

6. In a wire-fabric machine, a revoluble clamp-drum having twocooperating sets of jaws arranged in annular, rows, and means forworking the jaws of one set radially for alternately gripping andreleasing the wires passing over said drum.' 4

7 A revoluble clamp-drum having annular rows of overhanging or undercutlugs between which rows the wires pass over the drum, .means foreffecting relative radial movement between those parts of the surface ofthe drum which support the wires and the lugs, when the wires are underthe latter, for gripping and releasing the wires, and means foreffecting lateral displacement of the wires relative to said lugs forbringing them in relative position for gripping and for allowing escapeof the wires when released.

8. A revoluble clamp-drum having over hanging or undercut lugs arrangedin longitudinal and annular rows, between which annular rows the wirespass over the drum, intermediate longitudinal rows of supports for thewires with which said lugs cooperate when the wires are'under them,means for effecting relative radial movement between said lugs andsupports for gripping and releasing the wires, and means for effectingrelative lateral movement between the lugs and wires for bringing themin relative position for gripping and for allowing'escape ofthe wireswhen released.

9. A revoluble clamp-drum having overhanging or undercut lugs arrangedthereon in longitudinal and annular rows, radiallymovable bars arrangedbetween the longitudinal rows of lugs, means whereby the wires passingover said drum are moved laterally under said lugs, and means foroperating said bars for gripping and releasing the wires, and meanswhereby the wires when released are caused to escape said lugs. 7 p

10. A revoluble clamp-drum having overhanging or undercut lugs arrangedthereon in longitudinal and annular rows, longitudinally-shiftable barsarranged between the longitudinal rows of lugs, said bars having means.for engaging'thewires passing over the drum, means for shifting saidbars in opposite directions to carry the wires under and from under saidlugs, and radiallymovable members and means for operating them to gripand release the wires while under said lugs.

11. A revoluble clamp-drum having overhanging or undercut crimp-lugsarranged in longitudinal and annular rows, radiallymovable crimp-barsbetween the longitudinal rows provided with guides for the wires betweenthe annular rows, and means for effecting relative lateral shift betweensaid 7 lugs and guides to bring the lugs over and off the wires beforeand after crimping.

12. A revoluble clamp-drum having un dercut crimp lugs arranged inlongitudinal and annular rows, crimp bars between the longitudinal rows,tracker-bars associated with the, crimp-bars and movable endwise forbringing the wires under and from un der the crimp-lugs, and means foreffecting relative radial motion between the crimplugs and crimp-barsfor gripping and releasing the wires.

13. A revoluble clamp-drum having overhanging or undercut crimpelugsarranged in longitudinal and annular rows, intermediate longitudinalcrimp bars provided with guides for the wires between the annular rows,meansfor effecting relat ve lateral shift between said lugs and guldesto bring the wires under and from under the lugs,

and means for effecting relative radial movement between the crimp barsand lugs for gripping and releasing the wires.

14. A revoluble clamp-drum having longicrimp-lugs arranged inlongitudinal rows .between said channels and arranged also in annularrows, radially-movable bars in said channels, endwise shiftable notched:bars slidably-connected to said radially-movable bars, means forshifting said notched bars in opposite directions to move the wires en-'gagedthereby under and from under said lugs, and stationary cams in saiddrum for operating said radially-movable bars and adapted to movethemoutward while the wires are under said lugs.

l5.'The combination of a hollow drum having longitudinal channels,radially-movable bars o-nsaid channels having inwardlyro'ectin lu sstationar cams in said drum with which said lugs contact, undercut ortudinal channels, Lmdercut or overhanging overhanging crimp-lugs mountedon the drum between said channels and arranged in annular rows, endwiseshiftable notched bars slidably-connected to said radially- .movablebars, and means forshifting said crimp them intermediately, and forreleas-f.

ing said wires before they pass from the drum. 18. A clamp-drum havingundercut crimplugs mounted thereon in longitudinal and annular rows,cooperating devices for shifting the wires which pass over said drum tolodge them under said crimp-lugs and to crimp them intermediately, andfor releasing said wires before they pass from the drum, said crimp-lugshaving their overhanging ledges beveled to shed the Wires, substantiallyas described.

19. In combination with a clamp-drum having radially-movablewire-clamping bars and endwise movable tracker-bars, trackercams atopposite ends of the drum adapted to support the ends of saidradially-movable bars and providing segmental tracks for the ends of thetracker-bars, said tracks having inclines for shifting said tracker-barsin opposite directions at different phases of revolution.

In testimony whereof we afiiX our signatures, in presence of witnesses.

'PETTIS A. REID.

WALTER v. REID.

Witnesses:

A. M. GARDNER, MARY ALICE REID, THOMAS E. KINSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

